For Lake Braddock quarterback Billy Edwards, the fire to get back into competition is as obvious as his fiery red hair.“I just have to enjoy the (off-season) process and get ready to ball out with my brothers this year,” said Edwards, who enjoyed a breakthrough year with the Bruins in 2018. After a rough 1-2 start, Lake Braddock reeled off six wins in a row, only to drop a pair of close decisions to South County in the season finale and opening playoff round. One of the reasons for the turnaround was the maturation of their junior quarterback.
In three games, against Oakton, Yorktown and Fairfax, the 6’2”, 180-pounder threw for four scores, and Edwards finished his junior season with 2,247 yards passing and 28 touchdowns.
So, how is he preparing for the encore?
recruitNoVA.com talked with Edwards at their showcase, held at Redskin Park in Ashburn, and co-headlined with Sparta Science, in March. At that camp, he spoke of the quality of the competition and looked forward to more opportunities.
He has not been shy about finding them. “I have the Nike Regional next weekend, so I’ve been preparing for that,” said Edwards. “I have been working a lot on my mechanics and tuning them up before camps and college workouts.”
The heat is also starting to rise with his recruitment process.
“I have started talking with a few new schools, such as Maryland, Syracuse and Virginia Tech,” he added. “I am currently deciding my camp schedule for the summer, and am planning on attending about 10-12 college one-day camps.”
Lake Braddock, coached by Mike Dougherty, will also be busy on the summer circuit, with 7-on-7 passing competitions at Falls Church and Mount Vernon on the menu. The expectation will be to develop the symmetry among the offensive players with the hope of improving from last year’s squad, which went 7-4. A deeper run into the Class 6 playoffs would also be a boost for the Bruin program.
Of course, there is one other detail to tend to.
“I’m hoping to come out with a few offers this summer after all the camps, but if not, I’ll just keep working until it’s my time,” said Edwards in a concluding thought.
